By Madison Mazer
DC: What is your name, major, minor, and anticipated graduation year?
Anderson: Alanna Anderson. Major: Linguistics. Minor: Second Language Education. Graduation Year: December 2021
DC: In a couple of sentences, how would you describe your time in the Dugal Impact Fellowship Program?
Anderson: My time in the Fellowship Program was informational and engaging. Interning with Nest Collaborative gave me a lot of insight into a start-up that I didn’t have before. It was also amazing to be financially compensated since that’s not a reality for many available internships. I appreciate the Robert H. Smith Business School and its donors for making this opportunity possible and encouraging students to engage with companies who want to make a positive social impact.
DC: Tell us about Nest Collaborative. What is the company’s mission and core competencies?
Anderson: Nest Collaborative is a telehealth lactation company. They have a team of International Board-Certified Lactation Consultants who educate and assist parents on their breastfeeding journey. Whether it’s your first time breastfeeding or your fourth, they’ll advocate for you and provide you with the information you need to achieve your breastfeeding goals. Their mission is to assist parents with breastfeeding in an educational, equitable, and inclusive way. They also work very hard to forge relationships with more insurance companies so that appointments are covered with no copay and no deductible.
DC: Why did you want an internship with Nest Collaborative?
Anderson: I wanted to intern with a company that noticeably improved the lives of mothers, parents, and families. It’s clear that Nest Collaborative has since it was voted Best Overall Online Lactation Consult by Verywell Family. I was also impressed by the mission of the CCO, Amanda Gorman. As a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and mother, she has seen and experienced the difficulty of breastfeeding and created Nest Collaborative to confront those difficulties.
DC: What were some of your responsibilities while interning with Nest Collaborative?
Anderson: Two interesting small projects: I fixed the company’s podcast transcriptions on Otter to assist the VP of marketing with SEO and visibility. I had to interview 4 IBCLCs to get their opinion on how the company can make their job easier and improve patient care.
My largest project involved me pretending to be multiple patients so that I could go through the booking process and try multiple things such as booking on the same day, canceling an appointment, missing an appointment, etc. I then had to present my findings to the employees so that they could improve the flow of booking and improve customer experience.
DC: What were your favorite aspects of interning for Nest Collaborative?
Anderson: I felt like I was part of the team. During my first monthly company meeting, I was introduced and invited to share some information about myself. The company even sent me a branded journal and pen. I also felt like my opinion was valued by the members of the company. If I had a suggestion, question, or concern, I was always listened to and assured that it would be taken into consideration. I also felt like I had the chance to make an impact. During my first company meeting, the CCO read positive feedback that the IBCLCs had received from customers and presented figures that showed that the breastfeeding retention rate for Nest Collaborative customers was higher than the national average. I kept this in mind while working because I hoped to be a part of that positive change.
DC: What did you gain from your experience as a Dugal Impact Fellow?
Anderson: I gained insight into the daily duties of a start-up. The employees must take care of so many moving parts and responsibilities, but the changes were exciting and made me eager to do my job. I also have greater insight into what I would like my future jobs to be like. I feel like I’ve helped make a difference at Nest Collaborative, and I want to feel the same way with any job I have in the future.
DC: Have you had any cool startup/networking experiences since you’ve been at Nest Collaboration?
Anderson: Getting to sit in on the company meetings has been really valuable. The directors and managers are very clear about the steps they are taking to improve the company and address the concerns of the IBCLCs. For example, one manager completely redid the intake process for patients to address the IBCLCs’ concerns. It was interesting to see how a start-up balances growth with employee satisfaction.
DC: What was the biggest adjustment?
Anderson: I had to adjust to not having a set of instructions to follow. My supervisors would present a task to me and explain it, but it was up to me to get it done in a way that was efficient and practical.
For more information about Nest Collaborative, please visit the website here. For more information about the Dugal Impact Fellowship Program, please visit the website here.